Geraardsbergen (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): On July 31, 2024, a swimming area in Geraardsbergen was closed due to the presence of dangerous blue-green algae leading to a ban on water activities to ensure public safety.
On the afternoon of July 31, 2024 at approximately 5 PM a safety precaution was put into place at a local swimming area in Geraardsbergen. They discovered blue-green algae in the water which can be dangerous to people’s health. To keep everyone safe all swimmers were immediately asked to leave the area to avoid any potential harm from the algae. The East Flanders deputy Kurt Moens said they found the green stuff in the water and sent an email to everyone there on that day. The email explained about the algae and how it could be risky and also shared safety tips. Even though they told everyone no one has complained so far.
What measures are being taken in Geraardsbergen due to blue-green algae?
Deputy Kurt Moens from East Flanders said that people who had already booked and paid to swim on that day were told through email. They were informed that they could still come but couldn’t swim because of the green algae in the water. Despite the algae issue the beach and the water playground are still open for everyone to enjoy. To make up for the inconvenience they are letting people access these areas for free starting from that day.
Because the ponds in De Gavers and De Ster in Sint-Niklaas are closed due to the algae people can only swim at Nieuwdonk in Berlare. This change is a big problem especially with the hot weather when more people want to swim. People are really upset about the ponds being closed. It’s a big letdown for residents who had plans and for visitors who were excited to swim there.
It has been said that blue-green algae shows up a lot in the summer because of a mix of things like hot weather, no wind and bird droppings. They’re checking it weekly and if they can’t see it they’ll test the water. They’re planning to plant reed beds to stop the algae in the future.
